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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24946921">Chameleon Two</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mommywrites/pseuds/mommywrites'>mommywrites</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Random Akuma [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M, Post-Episode: s03 Caméléon | Chameleon, Post-Season/Series 03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 08:28:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,544</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24946921</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mommywrites/pseuds/mommywrites</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The season 3 events have all unfolded and the next day at school Lila got akumatized.<br/>(if lila user comments, please just ignore)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Random Akuma [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Chameleon Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This episode triggered so many stories it is possible someone else already published something along this idea, but since this fic is actually rooted in the whole Season 3, it might be new so here we go.<br/>(And now that I got this out of my head and out in the open I can actually resolve the struggle on my long fic, phew).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chameleon Two</p><p> </p><p>Marinette let go. She left and let Adrien and Kagami have their ice cream. The boy looked happy, satisfied, content, she took Kagami from him out of jealousy, that was true, and only realized her error later when she faced the Miracle Queen.</p><p>She knew that somehow she had the strength in her to let go, she let go of Chat Noir although she never admitted she loved him (that way) she told him they could never be together, that she couldn’t (let herself) feel that away, nor she ever admitted to that.</p><p>She let go and stood beside Adrien, she let the boy get the ice cream for him and Kagami, she learned her lesson and let go. She took an ice cream for her and Luka instead, he deserved that for being by her side when she needed him the most. When she needed a friend.</p><p>Luka played his guitar, he played the melody that he thought was perfect for Marinette and smiled. He turned around and saw where Adrien and Kagami were sharing an ice cream, he saw how Adrien looked at the girl and wiped the ice cream off, but then the blonde boy glanced in his direction.</p><p>“You are not jealous?” Luka had to ask, okay, he had to know. He smiled at Adrien before he turned to Marinette to ask her that. He did not feel a note of jealousy inside her, she was calm, and content, and satisfied?</p><p>“No.” Marinette shook her head. “I’m glad he is happy.” She smiled and offered to share the ice cream and Luka took the tiny spoon and enjoyed the flavours and smiled back at the girl who brought it for them, but that was it, only a moment.</p><p>She was happy to see the boy she loved happy, even if that was with the other girl, because she wasn’t selfishly in love. She did it before, not that Luka knew all about it, but she arranged for their date, she made the boy that scarf, and she never tried to break his illusion of happiness.</p><p>Luka watched Marinette, she was happy, just happy. But he knew more, she was happy and glad because her presence and her acceptance of his song was making him happy, he wasn’t a second choice, she did what made him happy, because she loved to see her friends happy.</p><p>There was a new melody playing in his head, he knew, she knew what she wanted, but she was ready to give up on her plans, hopes and dreams only to make other people happy, including him, all he had to do was to be there and be happy for having her.</p><p> </p><p>Another school day another drama. Lila was telling her tale, and her faithful flock listened. She still bragged about her photo shoot with Adrien and about upcoming photo shoots and perfume ads and billboards and interview and TV shows and …</p><p>Marinette passed by, a smile and a nod to Alya, Rose, Juleka and Mylenne as she passed by and followed Alix into the locker room. The baker girl did not even spare a glance, let alone a glare in her direction. Lila needed Marinette’s jealous glare to feed on.</p><p>Alix discovered how Max was able to help her be faster on her rollers and she needed to ask Marinette for advice on a modification she wanted to do on her rollers, because she wanted her rollers to look cool after she did it, not that her classmate had much to do, just give her opinion.</p><p>Marinette let go of chasing after each lie that liar spilled, she knew those lies are going to hurt in the end, she was hurt by them before, but she was in her let go phase. Therefore, Lila continued her tale about being so perfect match for Adrien, how she was Gabriel’s muse.</p><p>Adrien walked in the school with Nino by his shoulder, they were deep into conversation about any subject that would occupy the minds of the two boys and not in the mood to be interrupted by anyone, Nino causally waved to the group and glanced towards Alya and Adrien acknowledged them.</p><p>But both boys intended to just walk by and continue on their subject, there was no need (nor wish) to stop by and listen to whatever story Lila was telling right then. But the liar was not having that, she determinedly walked over to Adrien, grabbed his arm and put her hand over his chest.</p><p>“Oh Adrien, I was just telling our friends what a fantastic photo shoot we had.” She spoke slyly and leaned into him. The boy flinched away, frowned and his face fell while he tried to pull his arm free, but then his modelling instinct kicked in and he schooled his expression into a polite smile.</p><p>“Lila, what are you doing? He is with Kagami now. He has a girlfriend.” Alya was the first to speak. Adrien stared in disbelief and shock, first Lila attacked him, but then suddenly Kagami was labelled as his girlfriend, he wanted to protest and call her a friend but …</p><p>“What? Kagami? I thought we were together … we look so god together Adrien and your father made me his muse and … “ The liar was faster, there were glares directed at the boy as if he just cheated on her with his fencer friend.</p><p>“That was just a show Lila.” The boy finally spoke, a perfect model smile, panic in his eyes (because his friends glared at him for misleading Lila into thinking they were together). “I’m really sorry, I thought you knew how this public stunts worked.”</p><p>“What do you mean you said … “ Lila feigned tears, she hid her face behind her hands and glared daggers between her fingers. She sniffled and whined and the girls started to pat her back and whisper assurances.</p><p>“I said I was your <em>friend</em> Lila.” Adrien stressed the word friend as much as he dared. Alya was the first one to pull Lila into a side hug while she gave Adrien a pitiful look, not the first girl he called a friend who fell in love with him. Rose, Juleka and Mylenne followed suit.</p><p>Alya exchanged a few looks with the other girls, the girl squad admired Marinette’s actions and the absence of jealousy while they all had ice cream the other day, that was a pleasant surprise for them all, they expected the girl to fall apart, but they all saw how Marinette seemed happy about Adrien.</p><p>Then there was this scene with Lila. That oblivious model boy obviously had an effect on girls, she was rather glad she was immune. She remembered Chloe and the whining girls from the Valentine day fiasco, she really thought Marinette had a chance, but the girl let go herself.</p><p>“Come on, girl, you’re not the first nor the last to have a crush on our resident model boy.” Alya spoke cheerfully, but her eyes glared at the said blonde model, so much so that Nino tried to intervene, to make peace between his best bro and his girlfriend before it got worse.</p><p>“Look, Lila, everyone that was just a stunt to get some media attention. My father does that from time to time. It doesn’t mean anything.” He looked at Lila with genuine concern, not for her, but for all his friends she might go after she got akumatized, and for Kagami.</p><p>“It is okay she will accept that and move on.” Alya replied calmly. “Just like out <em>other</em> friend did.” Alya directed the last words at Lila who glared back, she knew which other friend that was. And that was all Alya needed to continue.</p><p>“Which other friend?” Adrien muttered. He replayed faces in his head, some other friend liked him too and that other friend accepted that he and Kagami were a couple (although they were not according to him). Nino took a hint and pulled the blonde boy away from the girls.</p><p>“Please dude, lets go, Alya will handle that.” Nino whispered and the two boys slowly and quetly turned around and proceeded to walk Away. But Adrien listened intently to the conversation that was going on behind his back.</p><p>“Come on Lila, don’t be jealous and childish about this. I had that enough from my <em>other</em> <em>friend</em>. Why can’t you accept it and move on just like <em>she</em> did? She even … “ Alya ranted on, but someone hushed her to at least continuer in quieter tone so that was all Adrien heard.</p><p>Adrien followed his best bro to the classroom, Ms Bustier was already there, the bell was going to ring in a few minutes and he knew everyone should join them soon. He greeted the class and Alix who just stormed in with a huge grin on her face and excitedly gave thumbs up to Max.</p><p>Lila could not listen to Alya and her praise for Marinette and the way that other girl handled jealousy ‘like an adult’ and how that other girl actually went with Adrien while the boy was picking up ice cream to share with Kagami, another girl, and did not scream with jealousy, and how she appeared to be happy about it, to be happy for her friend, because she really loved him …</p><p>That was too much to listen and Lila stormed away in the direction of the locker rooms. The girls let her be, the bell was about to ring any minute now, so they walked away in the direction of the classroom with a few comments about their two classmates and their reactions.</p><p>Marinette opened her locker, patted Tikki on the head, gave her a macaron and started to collect books and notes she needed for her next class … the class … where she sat behind Adrien. She was not allowed to stare at the back of his head now that he had a girlfriend, that was unacceptable.</p><p>She knew how all the girls looked at her when she smiled and let Adrien be with Kagami, when she smiled and talked to them, when she turned around and accepted whatever attention Luka wanted to give her, and she knew that they knew that her heart was breaking.</p><p>She took deep breaths and looked at Tikki, she whispered the words ‘proud, confident, Marinette’ but she was also kind and she did not hurt her friend (Kagami) just to try and steal a boy (also her friend) from her, and there was another boy that liked her but she wanted his friendship.</p><p>The confusion in her head nad the turmoil of her feelings slowly settled down ans she persuaded herself that she was able to do it, that she was not going to crumble under the weight of her feelings, that she was able to give her friends what they needed and not be selfish about it.</p><p>Lila met a violet butterfly just in front of the locker room. She grinned, grabbed the insect and let it enter her earring. Hawk Moth was surprised, he actually aimed at different target, but Lila was sufficiently angry to be useful and he knew what she wanted.</p><p>“Hello Hawk Moth, it was a long time. How about you give me superpowers and I bring you Ladybug’s earrings and Chat Noir’s ring?” She offered with a sly grin, her whole features changed from anger and despair into something completely different.</p><p>“Hello Lila, of course I remember, how about some of your old powers, Chameleon?” Hawk Moth grinned wickedly in his lair.</p><p>“Yes Hawk Moth.” Lila accepted and the dark energy washed over her, but she was still Lila. The girl went into the locker room first, but when she saw Marinette, she just grinned, her first victim was already there, and she looked rather distressed.</p><p>“Hey Marinette.” Lila greeted slyly. “I just heard how absolutely fantastic you have been regarding Adrien and Kagami and how you managed to move on is such a short spam of time and how you and Kagami, Adrien’s girlfriend are actually friends ...”</p><p>Lila observed Marinette and her reactions carefully, but the pigtailed girl just stared at her, she wrestled so many emotions inside her and now this girl approached her in the locker room, alone. It had to be another threat. Without even thinking her thumb called Alya, it went to voicemail.</p><p>“What do you want Lila?” Marinette spoke quietly, her eyes never left the liar in front of her. Yeah, she managed to flip her friends around her little finger and she lied her way from any trouble she got herself into, she even lied her way into Gabriel fashion, but Marinette was moving on.</p><p>“Oh, I was just thinking, why don’t we become friends now that Adrien is taken, why don’t we bury the hatched, why don’t we forget about that little threat I made you, you saw how I could do it just as I promised, but I got you back to school didn’t I?” She cornered the girl into her locker and forced a peck on her cheek.</p><p>Marinette fell unconscious into her locker and Lila turned into Marinette. She quickly shoved the rest of the girl into the locker and shut the door firmly. She was certain nobody was going to find her any time soon, and in the meantime, she was going to ruin her reputation.</p><p>“Oops, I lied.” Chameleon as Marinette laughed and spoke in Lila’s voice. “Oh, I guess you must think how you have won, but Kagami has Adrien now, not you, and it is me who got into Gabriel fashions you despicable aspiring young designer, and it is me who media are talking about, now let’s see what your friends are going to think about you!”</p><p>Chameleon as Marinette walked into the classroom only slightly late. Marinette was always out of breath when she was late and she always invented some ridiculous excuse that she panted while she ran to her seat and Ms Bustier let it go.</p><p>“Oh, good morning Ms Bustier.” Chameleon as Marinette spoke to the teacher. “I am really sorry I got late to the class this morning, I had so many commissions and I was working all night on them and got so engrossed into my designs that I completely forgot about the time.”</p><p>“Girl?” Alya frowned. The class remembered that the girl got into school early, she waved and greeted and went into the locker room with Alix.</p><p>“I’m sorry Ms Bustier, Marinette was helping me with my rollers, I just left her in the locker room.” Alix stared at Chameleon as Marinette who still stood in front of the class and smiled slyly at them, her whole presence demanded their attention.</p><p>“Yes, we saw her with Alix.” Several voices confirmed and frowned at the girl who was obviously lying to the teacher while they all knew the truth, she had a perfect excuse, she was helping out a friend and just got a little late. The teacher did not even start with the roll call.</p><p>“Okay, Marinette, why don’t you take your seat?” My Bustier ignored everything that was out of place that morning, she wanted to go through the administrative procedure and finally begin to teach, she was wasting time there.</p><p>“Oh, Adrien, why did you chose that obnoxious girl, Kagami, for your girlfriend.” Chameleon, as Marinette, faced the boy in the first row, spat the other girl’s name and took a few steps towards him while she swayed her hips and licked her lips like she was going to devour him.</p><p>Adrien stared at Chameleon as Marinette. It was her who left the two of them alone to share an ice cream that day, it was her who helped them go on a date to the ice rink, it was his dear friend Marinette who was always supportive of him and Kagami.</p><p>“And why did you chose Lila for your photo shoot when it should have been me? I am the aspiring young designer, everyone knows how I can talk about my designs on and on and on. It is me who you should have introduced to your father, not her!” Chameleon as Marinette looked jealous.</p><p>“Girl? What?” Alya shot back. Chloe rolled her eyes, she was right there, she pretended she checked her nails, but this time it looked like she wanted to make sure they were sufficiently sharp to rip that girl apart who dared to go after her childhood crush, oops, no, friend.</p><p>Adrien stared at the girl who now leaned over his desk. Everything was going so fast. He never saw Marinette behave that way, no she stammered and stuttered, she smiled and mixed up her words, and when she was angry, she would clench her fists and collect courage but she remained fair.</p><p>“You are so oblivious, Adrien! You have no idea how much I love you, how much I adore you! I followed you and stalked after you when Lila lied her way into your home, I climbed a tower of trash cans to be able to peek over the wall … “ She trailed off.</p><p>“You’re not Marinette.” He whispered quietly and Plagg confirmed that when he got scratched on his chest. And had an idea who she was, last time when Lila turned into Chameleon, she took his shape first and went after Nino, this time, her perhaps first victim was Marinette.</p><p>“And the rest of you.” She turned to the class. “Especially you Alya. You’re so stupid, you all believe Lila’s lies although I told you how inconsistent she is!” The class gasped in horror. “She had me moved to the last seat, she had me expelled, and you still believe that I am a jealous bully.”</p><p>The class glared at her, Alya gaped, Alix wanted to spring into action, Rose cried, Juleka tried to comfort her. Mylenne looked at Ivan and he looked back. Chloe huffed something that maybe sounded like ‘finally’. Kim wanted to jump onto the girl, but he was not beating girls.</p><p>“She lied about every celebrity she knew, she probably never met any of them and it was easy for you to check your sources Alya.” She glared towards the girl. “And you still swallow any shit she throws your way because she is only telling you what you want to hear.”</p><p>Adrien needed to escape and transform and attack. The last time akuma was in Chameleon’s earrings. He observed the ears on Chameleon as Marinette, he never paid much attention, but she had earrings, plain black studs, was the akuma in one of them or was the earring somewhere else?</p><p>“Marinette, I will not have that language in my classroom. Now I don’t know what kind of a problem you and Lila have.” She glanced up the classroom. “Has anyone seen Lila come to school this morning?” She sent a quick message to principal Damocles.</p><p>“Yeah, she was in school, distressed about Adrien’s new girlfriend, she left towards the locker room just before the bell rang! What have you done to Lila, Marinette?” Alya demanded. The girls nodded in unison to confirm Alya’s story.</p><p>“That’s not Marinette.” Adrien spoke louder. He wanted to scream that was an akuma but he hesitated, because he did not want to be caught by an akuma. But he had to defend his friend. “Marinette would never say any of this.”</p><p>“How would you know?” Chameleon as Marinette mocked the boy in front of her. She had to make the class believe she was really her. “You never noticed how much I loved you, what makes you think you know what I’m able to do or say.”</p><p>Adrien trembled, silenced, Alya mentioned another friend who took it much better, was Marinette really in love with him? Did she really love him? Was it really her, of all his friends, who secretly had other feelings for him. And then he remembered how she told him that she loved him as Chat.</p><p>“Marinette … you told me yourself you did not have such feelings for me, that you were just a fan, that you were trying to prank me in the museum, you said … “ He trailed off because Chameleon as Marinette was not listening, she was busy and glared at the class.</p><p>“And you.” She turned to Ms Bustier. “You accused me of stealing results of a mock exam and you found it in my bag after the fact, as if I was so stupid to keep it there. And you let Lila manipulate you and lie to the class and make everyone change their seats ...” She trailed off.</p><p>“Marinette, I will have to ask you to go and see the school principal, now!” The teacher protested. She spoke gently, but her eyes spoke a different story, the one of hurt and betrayal, because she never expected any of that from the class president.</p><p>“Oh, that old owl.” Chameleon as Marinette laughed. “Lila faked an injury and claimed I pushed her, she faked so many injuries and neither you nor him ever bothered to check this with her medical records, you never bothered to check with her parents for her absences.”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” Principal Damocles stood at the door, he obviously overheard at least the last part of her speech. His lips were closed and formed a thin line, his eyes glanced over the class and rather distressed teacher who struggled to remain calm and smiling.</p><p>“She told you she has a disease that makes her lie, but she planted that necklace in my locker and she feigned her injury, she did that intentionally to hurt me.” This time Chameleon as Marinette feigned tears the way Lila always did, if Adrien needed confirmation, he had it, but he had to get out first.</p><p>“Now, let’s not bully the girl for her condition … “ Principal Damocles raised his hands and his palms faced Chameleon as Marinette and he waved them frantically. “That is not the way to treat classmates or any other student who is disabled.”</p><p>“Disabled? The only thing Lila is disabled for is to tell the truth!” Chameleon as Marinette laughed wickedly. “and you are all so stupid to believe her lies even after she admitted to have the disease. A disability should not be an excuse to bully someone, she threatened me, she got me expelled.”</p><p>“But she was honest and she came clean and we returned you to school to your class.” Ms Bustier cut in gently, she still had an attitude of a gentle teacher who was there to tame a student who lost control over her feelings and actions and a slight gentle nudge was going to correct her.</p><p>“Honest?” Chameleon as Lila laughed. “She only told you about lying because Adrien over here made her tell you that lie to return her to school otherwise he would never be her friend, and even that was because he had no proof that Lila framed me.”</p><p>That was it for Adrien. The only person who knew about that deal was Lila and he never ever intended to share that with another soul. There was only one reason to do that, and it was to get Marinette back to school, he was not proud of the way he did it, just that it worked.</p><p>“You are not Marinette, you are Lila, you are Lila akumatized into Chameleon and all you want is to make her look bad! Now what have you done with her?” Adrien demanded as he jumped to his feet, ready to defend the honour of his classmate, his friend.</p><p>Chameleon as Marinette grinned again. One glance over the auditorium and their angry faces told her her job was done, everyone hated her, well they all hated Marinette, now she could switch her disguise and go for a different target. She grabbed Adrien and forced a kiss on his cheek.</p><p>The boy had no chance against an akuma with magically enhanced strength. He tried to push her away, he screamed and turned his face to the side, but she pressed her lips on his face and his vision went black, he lost consciousness and collapsed back on the bench.</p><p>Chameleon as Adrien glared at the class, then turned towards the classroom door, snickered at Nino and grabbed his red cap. Nino protested weakly, while Alya way already filming and / or streaming on the Ladyblog. This ws clearly an akuma attack, it was time for Ladybug and Chat Noir to step in.</p><p>Marinette woke up in her locker. She had no idea what time it was, but she was locked up. thin</p><p>lines of light streamed through several narrow openings along the door of the locker and she recognized it was her own locker, then she remembered Lila and what she had done.</p><p>“Tikki.” She whispered quietly. Her kwami appeared in front of her. “Was Lila akumatized into Chameleon again?” (In Chameleon, Plagg wanted to wake up Adrien from enchanted sleep with a kiss, but let’s imagine Tikki did not remember that or it did not work or something so Marinette woke up when Chameleon kissed her next victim, Adrien).</p><p>“What do you think Marinette?” Tikki answered as she always did, it was a job for her chosen to get to conclusions and to make up plans, her job was to steer her away from abusing her miraculous and to the right path, not that she could do too much about that.</p><p>“Yeah, I think she is. Come on Tikki, please unlock the door, I have to transform and fight her.” She quickly checked her bag for more cookies and macarons while Tikki phased into lock and then the door to the locker opened as if by magic (as it actually did).</p><p>Marinette quickly checked the locker room, she was ready to transform when the door burst open. Kim and Alix were on her before she even had a chance to say anything. She only hoped that Tikki was safely in her purse.</p><p>“She’s here just where I left her.” Alix grinned. “Were you unconscious? Did Lila kiss you?” The pink haired girl grabbed her hand and pulled her out from the locker room. There was no discussion about that, just questions to answer.</p><p>“Yes … um … I just came to here on the floor … heh heh, not that I was locked up in a locker or something … because how would I get out then … heh? And yes … Lila did kiss me … on the cheek that is … not that I would let her, she forced herself but … how did you know?” Marinette rambled.</p><p>“She came to the classroom as you. Said many things. Kissed Adrien and now the boy is unconscious on the floor and the akuma turned to look like him, took Nino’s cap and ran away.” Kim explained while he pulled Marinette to run faster to the classroom.</p><p>“She kissed Adrien while she looked like me?” Marinette screamed, she blushed, then she paled, then se felt like her insides were burning, she ran faster than both Alix and Kim and pulled them along. “And Adrien is unconscious?”</p><p>She needed to get away, hide and transform, but the pull to go to the classroom and see what was going on was just as strong, she needed to wake him up, to apologize, to say that anything akuma just said wasn’t her that it wasn’t true. She was sorry, she was so so sorry.</p><p>Alya and Nino were not in the classroom, they ran after the akuma (or better Alya did, Nino followed her), Adrien was laid on the bench and slept his enchanted sleep. Ms Bustier fussed around the unconscious boy as well as most of the class, uncertain what to do next.</p><p>Marinette stared at Adrien only for moment, but then the hears in her head shifted, she needed to take charge, she had to have Adrien secured and her classmates away, she needed to transform and fight an akuma while she still knew how she looked like.</p><p>“Find a safe place to hide.” Marinette instructed. “And do not kiss or let yourself be kissed. By anyone.” She looked at Ivan and Mylenne who looked sheepish. Somewhere in the background Juleka and Rose might have separated for a few centimetres and looked sheepish.</p><p>She ran away under pretence she was looking for a safe place to hide. The rest of the class assured this was indeed the real Marinette and with a few looks the class, the teacher and the school principal made a pact to never mention anything to Marinette about what the akuma told them, and about hem, especially about Adrien and to the model boy.</p><p>Marinette found an empty classroom and Ladybug returned back to the classroom in a minute.</p><p>“Ladybug! Ladybug!” Alix called. “Lila is an akuma, she looks like Adrien now. Go find her, quickly, please.” The pink haired girl was running along. Ladybug was tempted to scoop Adrien and take him away to some safe place, like her room, but she shook her head and went away.</p><p>In the meantime, Chameleon as Adrien stalked upon Kagami who practised fencing in the park under the watchful eyes of Mme Tsurugi who chose to remain seated in the shade of a tree. The girl practised her skill against the thin air while a small smile never left her lips.</p><p>“Kagami.” Chameleon as Adrien called. His usual model smile on his face, but his eyes were cold. Mme Tsurugi cleared her throat and Kagami continued her practise, nothing was supposed to disturb her concentration, including the boy she liked.</p><p>“Kagami.” Chameleon as Adrien called again and stood in the way of her sword. The girl had to stop her practise, she lowered the sword and looked at him, then she looked at her mother and back at the akuma in front of her, although all she saw was a blonde model.</p><p>“What do you want Adrien?” Kagami addressed the boy with a polite smile. She wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him if he went through all that trouble and ditched school to find her and talk to her. Mme Tsurugi got to her feet, Kagami remained calm and composed.</p><p>“I just wanted to tell you that I don’t like you, I don’t like at all, I never did, it was all just an act to pull your mother and her finances into my father’s company and label and open the markets in Japan and Korea for Gabriel.” Chameleon as Adrien spoke with a smug grin on his face.</p><p>Kagami took a step back and the grip on her sword was much stronger. Her breathing was ragged, she wanted to strike with her sword, she wanted to strike him down, but she liked him and she lost him, in fact she never had him so she fell on her knees and cried.</p><p>“You can go and have Marinette, she loves you.” She whispered back. Because there was nobody else she could have imagined that the boy loved. He was too kind, actually, he came over there to be honest with her, to tell her the truth, to stop the lies, to stop hurting her, actually.</p><p>“I don’t love Marinette. I don’t even like her.” Chameleon as Adrien continued with his bashing. Kagami winced at those words and stared at the blonde boy before her. Even her mother reacted to the cold words that came from the akuma’s mouth.</p><p>“I love Lila and I will make the world to know that. Out photo shoot was not just a publicity stunt, it wasn’t because I wanted Lila to return Marinette to school, it is because I love her, I want to make her a star so now she is the next muse of my father.” Chameleon as Adrien continued to talk.</p><p>“But you told me she was a liar and that you did not like her at all, that she lied her way into her home and into that photo shoot and … “ Kagami argued, she wasn’t trying to get him to love her, just to understand what was going on, because the boy in front of her was entirely different.</p><p>“I lied to you Kagami, I never liked you.” Chameleon as Adrien sneered. Mme Tsurugi approached him from the side, but Chameleon was not interested in her. Instead, the akuma had a new idea, then leaned over and kissed Kagami who fell unconscious while Chameleon assumed her shape.</p><p>Mme Tsurugi was ready to strike the akuma, her inner guts told her that there was something really off with the boy, but a yoyo was faster and the akuma went after Ladybug, while Tomoe was left to tend to her unconscious daughter.</p><p>Ladybug had to let go of Chameleon as Kagami, the akuma tried to fetch her earrings and kiss her and that was not the goal. She needed a decoy, something that the akuma would kiss instead of Ladybug and then turn into.</p><p>Adrien woke up in the classroom, surrounded by his classmates, Ms Bustier and principal Damocles. He was told about the appearance of Ladybug and how Chameleon walked away looking like him. He quickly concluded that the next target was probably Kagami.</p><p>He ran away and said eh was going to protect his fencer friend, but he quickly hid and transformed into Chat Noir. Then he continued over the rooftops, he checked the communicator on his baton. Ladybug was on the move, and he passed over the park where he saw Tomoe cradling Kagami.</p><p>One sea shell and one shell opener lucky charm later, Chat Noir got the honours to cataclysm the earring and Ladybug cleansed the violet butterfly. Lila appeared, angry and frustrated for her last failure and bothered to listen to rather brief and unwilling comforting words from the heroes.</p><p>It was hard to tell who wanted to cut that part shorter, the heroes or the akuma victim who was just saved by them, so they separated quickly and Ladybug threw her lucky charm shell opener into the air and called for miraculous ladybug magic to fix any damage.</p><p>The problem with magical ladybugs was that they fixed all the material damage inflicted during the battle and even more importantly brought people back to life or even back into existence, but what this akuma did was mostly verbal and emotional damage.</p><p>And that was something that Ladybug was not able to fix, they could not forget about what they saw nor forget about the words that they heard. Those haunted them after each battle, but now their friends were going to be haunted, and the heroes were not supposed to know.</p><p>The heroes bumped their fists. Ladybug smiled gently at her partner. She knew now that she was able to develop feelings for him, but she did not yet (or she refused to admit that) and she was determined to stop herself, but she was allowed to care for her partner, right, there was nothing wrong with that.</p><p>Chat Noir grinned back his signature lopsided grin but it fell too quickly to reflect how he really felt, he was obviously happy about their victory, but bothered by problems that even an akuma fight did not erase from his mind.</p><p>They looked at each other hesitant, they wanted to talk about it, but there was no way to even start talking about what just happened without leaving a hint towards their identities. Finally, with another hesitant smile, they greeted each other and left their separate ways.</p><p>Somehow, on their ways, they both passed by a park to make sure that Kagami was safe and sound. She was already going through her practise but she did spare a moment to nod to each of them out of respect and gratitude for beating another akuma. Tomoe allowed that much.</p><p>Chat Noir landed on the school premises and detransformed into Adrien. He fed Plagg who was whining for food and then quickly ran towards the classroom. Alya, Nino and Marinette were still missing, but principal Damocles was still there.</p><p>The boy muttered an excuse under his breath and sat on his seat, everyone looked rather busy, on a phone, or a tablet, everyone was reading something. Well, they were probably checking the news on the akuma fight, that was rather usual practise.</p><p>Alya burst inside with her eyes on the screen of her phone while Nino pulled her inside and watched where she was going. She barely acknowledged the teacher, the school principal and the class while she scrolled through her screen.</p><p>Finally, Marinette stumbled inside, muttered an excuse and went to her seat quietly without drawing anyone’s attention, just like she always did. Except Adrien looked at her and beamed at the girl, his honest happy smile, she was there and she was safe.</p><p>Since Ms Bustier was obviously still busy with something and principal Damocles was still trying to reach someone on his phone the boy turned around and smiled again at his shy classmate. She blushed and smiled back reassuringly.</p><p>“Are you okay?” The blushing girl mouthed. She did not trust her throat. She did not know what Chameleon did when the akuma impersonated her, it was certainly nothing good, but at least Adrien did not hate her. On the other hand she was worried about him.</p><p>“I’m fine, thank you, just concerned what Chameleon did to my friends when she had my shape.” The boy smirked. He saw how the girl blushed even more deeply than she did when he turned around. “And how are you?” He added and watched her reaction.</p><p>“Me too.” She squeaked. “I mean concerned … not that I’m in much of a shape of myself … “ She slammed a hand over her mouth. “Just concerned, yes.” She nodded eagerly. She studied his face, worried, what was it that Lila did when she looked like Marinette?</p><p>The teacher called for attention, principal Damocles left to deal with his phone calls later as they both concluded it was time to resume teaching and deal with whatever they were supposed once the class was dismissed. Nobody was surprised that Lila wasn’t there.</p><p>The round call finished with only one student noted as missing. The teacher had to call for attention and asked the students to pay attention to the class and look for information over the internet several times.</p><p>Marinette wrote a message to Kagami how an akuma assumed a shape of Adrien and whatever they did, it wasn’t him, just like the akuma assumed the shape of her before that. She could not bear that Adrien would lose the girl he liked (loved?) because of Lila.</p><p>Adrien knew he was going to have a hard conversation with Kagami the next time they met for fencing (that afternoon). Apparently everyone considered them a couple, but he still did not feel ready to be that.</p><p>The rest of the class and the teacher and the school principal … Well, they told them many times not to trust what akuma said and done, but the seed of doubt was there and if a quick internet search encouraged them to seek the truth, well who could blame them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Would you tell Marinette?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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